The present invention relates to a system and method for removing phosphorus from an influent. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for removing phosphorus from an influent using a multi-stage treatment system.
Influent, such as contaminated water, is often treated using a multi-stage process to allow for the removal of various contaminates. The treatment processes may include coagulation, absorption, adsorption, filtration, biological treatment, and/or chemical treatment. However, phosphorus can be difficult to remove because it may be present in different forms such as soluble phosphorus, polyphosphate, and phosphorus tied to bacteria or other organic material. In addition, some particulate phosphorus is too small for filtration or coagulation to be effective.
Present systems generally cannot reduce the level of phosphorus in an influent below about 50 parts per billion (ppb).